Yesterday evening the City of Carpinteria adopted the first double bag ban (prohibiting both single-use plastic and paper bags) in California.

Only one other US city has passed this type of ordinance. Earlier this month, the City of Austin adopted the first double ban in the nation to stop single-use bag waste and encourage reusable bags instead.

The Carpinteria ordinance bans single-use plastic bags in all stores including restaurants and retailers. Grocery stores and retailers grossing an annual income of $5 million or more would be prohibited from distributing single-use paper bags as well.

The ordinance is operative for the larger stores starting July 11 of this year, expanding to all other stores by April 11, 2013.

See the state and national list of local bag ordinances. Carpinteria becomes the 43rd local jurisdiction in CA with a bag ordinance.

This number is expected to continue to climb, anticipated to increase to 44 as early as tomorrow after the City of Ojai takes a final look at its proposed bag ordinance tonight. The Ojai ordinance would also ban plastic bags at all retail stores (excluding restaurants) but allows paper bags to be purchased for ten cents each.

*UPDATE* 3/14/12-The Ojai City Council modified its ordinance at the meeting on March 13. The amended ordinance was then read for the first time, and City Council will have a final reading and vote of the bag ban at its next meeting on March 27.